F/xr 



NOV t/^^^V 



[Fiom UlUn Tlciahl. Oi'tiil)et>Si*, ISSO.] 

o-Xi^ HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



The Colonial Newspaper Press 
Described by Colonel Stone- 

A Communication from President Roberts 
—The Steuben Monument — New- 
Members Elected — The Address. 



hi 'Oc 



tbi 'Oneida 
held in the 
Htfn. C. W. 



1^ cA' 

The fmonlhly meeting of 
county historical society was 
library building last evening. 
Hutchinson, first vice president, presided. 

After the reading of the minutes, General 
Dariins, ibe corresponding secretary, re- 
ported a loug list of gilts to the society. 

A CO.MMIXHATIOX l-liciM THE I'RESIDEXT. 

The following was read: 

Office 01' AssLST .IX r TuEASUJiiiK, U.S., i 
New Youk City, d tbber 1. ) 
General C. W. D.irlinf, coiresponding secre- 
tary Oneida histor cal society, Utica, N. Y.; 
My Dear General — The Oneida historical so- 
ciety has treated me witb favor much beyond 
my deserts, while ir. has commanded mv best 
efforts for its prosperity and growth. It has 
rendered valuable service to our country, to the 
whole Mohawk valley and to our great com- 
monwealth, and it has a broad work before it 
in preserving our local memorials, and giving 
form' and subsiance to the history of the laud 
of the Iroquois. To Ibe eNtent of my ability I 
will ask the privilege of laboring in and for the 
society for the advancement of its high and 
worthy objects. But I beg that at the coming an- 
nual election another may be chosen to fill the 
ofBce of president. 

During the past eigbleen months duties else- 
where have deprived me of the pleasure of at- 
tendance at the meetings, and continued ab- 
sence from the city will prolong that depriva- 
tion. With a deep sense of the honor of the 
position, and cordial thanks to the society, I 
will ask to pass over the office at the close of 
the year to a successor who wil! have more 
ability and leisure to perform its tasks, but can 
not have more zeal or hiebei' purpose in behalf 
of the organization. Very truly yours, 

Ei.i.i> II. Roberts. 
The coramiinicalion was received and 
Dlaced on file. 

TBE NEXT .MKETIXC. 

Rev. O. W. rsigelow of the committee on 
addresses reported that at the next meetioj. 
on Monday, Nov. 24, Hon. I), IC. Waser 
(d Rome would read a paper on "The life 
of Colonel jiarinus Wilhtl before taking 
command of Fort Slanwi.v." fie will at a 
subsequent meeting complete the narrative. 



„ , A , 

The paoers are the result of much re- 
search, and will present interesting and val- 
uable information. 

Mtr.JinEUS ELECTED -VND PROPOSED. 

The following were elected; Life mem- 
bers, Hon. C. W. Hutchinson; Thomas 
Jenkins, Piilsburg, Pa.; cc responding 
members. Colonel A. S. Hubbard, San 
Francisco; Charles K. Alerion, Waterloo; 
Rev. Calfb D. Rradlee and Rev. George 
Ellis, Boston; Frank B. Guy, Hartford, 
Ct. ; Rev. Charles H. Walker, Chittenango; 
Hon, John W. Yrooman, Herkimer; resi- 
dent membeis. Arttnir iSl. Beardsley, Isaac 
N. Maynard, David Foster, George Coven- 
try, Kdward D. Ma' hews. 

The following were proposed. For cor- 
responding members, Elias Vosseller, libra- 
rian historical society of Hunterdon coun- 
ty, N. J.; T. Frank Waters, corresponding 
secretary of the Ipswich historicalsociety, 
Ipswich, Mass.; resident members. Dr. 
Theodore H. Bradish, Louis Lombard. 

THE STEIIJEN .MONl'MENT. 

Rev. Daniel Ballou of the special com- 
mittee on the preservation of the Steuben 
monument reported as follows: 

/our committee appointed to see what dam- 
age has been done to the Steuben monument 
and to recommend what measures .should be 
taken to prevent vandalism' respectfully re- 
port: 

First, That after repeated efforts, it was 
found practically impossible to select a day 
when a committee of five, representing a 
teacher, a lawyer, a physician, a printer and a 
clergyman, could visit the historic sepulcber. 

It was finally agreed that two of your com- 
mittee should eo on the 5:55 a. m. train, Thurs- 
day, October 16. 

Your committee was represented at that 
hour by its chairman, his associate. Dr. Tetit, 
being detained by a professional call. 

Having arransed for a conveyance fiom 
Remsen to the Steuben monument and certain 
of the trustees of the Second Baptist society, 
who have the grounds and monument in charge, 
bavins agr el to meet a committee of this so- 
cietj' on that morning, the chairman proceeded 
on bis mission, and in company with John G. 
(irifliths and .John W. Pritchard, representing 
the Second Baptist congregation, a somewhat 
critical exammation of the monument and 
the grounds surrounding was made. 

The Steuben monument is practhally in the 
center of a five acre lot of mountain land, 
which is enclosed with a fence of barbed wire, 
save a short distance on the south side, where 
a board fence is maintained. With the excep- 
tion of a small space immediately surrounding ; 
the monument, and the roadway leading to it, 
we saw no evidence of the woodman's as or 
that cattle have been upon the grounds. 

In order to convey as clearly as possible the 
location on the monument of the vandalism, 
it appears neoe-sary to briefly describe the 
structure. 

The first five or six feet above the foundation 



e dnDe in rouKb asblcr. upon which reals tlie 
plinth or platform of cut stoni', perhaps .«ix 
inches in thi kness. The corners ot this stone 
are soaicH hat injured by having been broken, 
and pieces perhaps of the size o( a butt '-rnut 
and smaller, have been remored, leaving a 
racBed ondition. 

The column rcstine upon aud rising above, 
viewed from the ti Tih, bears no marks nor in- 
juries. I pon thi- cast side is the emblem of a 
crowu. the seven spires of which terminate in 
small i;lobeaor balls. Five of these have been 
broken off. 

The south side b?ars tue name "John Kar- 
len, O lober 11, IS-i'.i,'' in painted letters and 
fipuris, perhaps two inches in length. 

Excepting the mutilated corners the west 
side is tininjurej, save that the cannon ball 
forming the ape.\ of the pyramid, which rests 
upon the base of the monument, has been 
loosened and thrown upon the ground. 

Your representative des-res also to slate that 
he was cordially received and assisted by 
Messrs. (irilli hs and I'ritchard, who cheerfully 
agreed to co-operate with this society in any 
measures calculated to protect the nionument 
and grounds, except that they could not bear 
any linandal expense, since the condition of 
the society they represent will warrant no more 
outlay than the inuiiilaming of the fence and 
general supervision reipiircs. 

.Section 04T of the penal c.ide declar s that 
a person w hr>. not being the owner thereof and 
without lawful authority, willfully injures, dis- 
figures, removes or destroys a gravestone, work 
of art, etc., is uuilty oi' a misdemeanor; and 
section 15 ot the iicnul code declares that a 
person convicted o[ tins crime is punishable by 
imprisonment in a penitentiary or county jail 
for not more than one year, or by a line "t not 
more than $5(p0. or by both. 

In view of the fact that twenty years have 
passed, and so little injury has been done, all 
the members of the committee which have 
Iteen consulteii— save .Mr. 8 hrciher, who be- 
lieves an iron fence eiglit feet high desirable- 
agree in recoinmendiutf thai notices specifying 
the penalty of the law be duly painted and 
posted at the int ranee to the grove, and in two 
or three conspicuous places near the monument. 

-Messrs. (irillitlis an 1 Pritchard said that in 
their opinion this would be snlTicieu , and that 
thev would post such notices, when furnished. 
«especlfullv submitted. 1). Bailoii, 1'. < . .1 
KeAnjelis, Charles H. TetTt. 

Mr. Ballou also reported that uo inten- 
tional vandalism seemed to have been com 
uiilled. The Trenton limestone, ct which 
the monument i-> built, yields easily to the 
weather, and lie accounted for the deface- 
«iient by that fact. 

The conimiiiee was autbori^.ed to secure 
the signs recommended. 

lion. William M While of the buiidint' 
committee reported thai the building on 
J)eveieux street could lie purtliased for 
:}; 12.0011 or $i:i,Ol)0. 

Edward 0( onu ir. who has kept the silc 
of Fort i^chuyler in order, was tendered a 
Tote of thanks. 



Tbe meeiine was then adjourned to Li- 
brary hall, where Colon ■! William L. .Stone 
of New .Jersey delivered an address on 
"The C\ilonial Newspaper Press of Boston 
and New York." 

> oi.0M;|. STiiSI.'.- .MlDI'.Kss. 

Fol owintj is an abstract of Colonel 
Stone's address: 

To deliver a lecture on the newspaper 
press without first paying our respects to 
the devil and Dr. Faust would be consider- 
ed not only a violation of all precedent but 
— as regards those dislinguisbed individ- 
uals — a po«i ive breach of good minners. 
They have so loni: been associated together 
not only in popular tradition but in books, 
that the greater part of the reading world 
seems to think that ihey were the original 
pariuers i i the republic of letters. Indeed, 
the opinion is even yet (;uite prevalent that 
the iicvil has been a silent partner, tho' not 
a sleeping one, in every lewspaper estab- 
lishment sinct. The proposition to this ex- 
tent is certainly inadmis-ibic, and yet from, 
the moral condition of a large portion of 
:hc press it must be confessed, there is a 
sliong (iresumptive evidence that in ths un- 
happy inlluences exercised by the pcrsonaze 
referred to over the alTairs of men. he is not 
altogether neglectful of tbe press Be this 
as it may. an engine of such great impor- 
tance in the daily alTairs of life — its ener- 
gies are of such tremendous power, either 
for good or evil, that 1 believe a few mo- 
raenis can be profiiably spent this evening 
in glancing at its rise and early progress in 
two of the American colonies during tbe per- 
iod preceding the revolution. 

Tiie honor of setting up the first printing 
press in tlie .\tuerican colonies belongs to 
;>las3achnseils. Onlylfi years had elapsed 
from the Ian liug ol the Pilgrims at I'lym- 
outh before a prtss was in operation in C»m- 
liridge. then as populous as Boston. The 
project of establishing a press in tbe new- 
world was conceived, and almost executed 
by Hcv. Isaic (ilover, a dissenting 
clergyman in Kngliind. who had interested 
himself largely in planting the colony, and 
a portion of whose 'a oily was already in 
America .Mr (ilover raised tho means of 
purchasing bis press, types and other ueces- 
sary apparatus by contributions in Kngland 
and Hollaad With these he embarked for 
America in l(53s, but died a few days be- 
fore his -hip reached the shore. The press 
was established at Cambridge, and there it 
remained for tiO years, and Id years before 
a i^reas was established in another colony. 

Having thus Introduced his subject and 
referred to its beginning, Colonel Stone 
gave an accura'.e historical review of Ibc 
early days of the colonial press, and the 
publication of the Boston News Letter, tbe 
first newspaper of America, in .Vpril. i7iil. 



"** This paper was printed as a half sbeet of 

'o paper like a large size of foolscap. It was 

5^ continued for 15 years, weekly, without a 

rival on the conliuent, and continually 

C,' languishing for wanl of support lu 1719, 
the editor made a great effort to enlarge his 

o' publication, and staled in bis prospectus 
that he found it lo be impossible wiiu a 
weekly half sheet lo carry on all the public 
occurrences of Kurope, with those of the 
American colonies and the West Indie-^. 
He was then 13 months behind the news, 
and to obviate the difficulty, he resolved to 
publish every other week a full sheet of 
foolscap. lie afterwards announced, as the 
advantage of this enlargement, that in 
eight months he was able to hrina down the 
foreisn news to within five mouths of the 
date of his publicaiion. 

What a contrast between the newspapers 
of that day and our own. Then news seven 
days old from New York to Boston was 
swift enough for an e.fpress. Now if we 
can not obtain the news ir<ni Washington 
in less than the same number of minutes. 
we growl .ind storm and talk of starting 
more telegraph companies. 

The growth of ine newspaper in Boston 
was then described at length down lo the 
tiup.e of the revolution, with brief menliou of 
the editors of those early days. The publi- 
cation of the first New York paper, the 
Gazette, in 1735, and the New York news- 
papers and their editors were presented with 
sevei-al anecdotes, which brought out the 
characters of the institution and the times 
distinctly. 

Regarding errro:s of the press, Colonel 
Stone said; Nothing can be nsore annoying 
to authors and publishers than errors of the 
press, and yet those who are unskilled in 
the art of printing can scarcely conceive 
the difficulty of avoiding them. To arrive 
at ordinary accuracy in a daily newspaper, 
requires the reading and correction of at 
least two proofs, and even then an editor 
who has not become case hardened by long 
practice and endurance, will often be 
shocked at the transformalioa of sense into 
nonsense or the murdering of one of his 
happiest conceiis, or the plucking of the 
point out of one of his neatest paragraphs 
by a typographical error. A number of 
amusing incidents of such errors were told 
in a happy manner. 



From the establishment, however, of the 
independence of the country until the 
present day, there has been no attempt to 
fetter the press by censors, or by law; 
while the old English law of libel, which 
prevailed until the begining of the present 
century, has been so modified as to allow 
the truth in all cases to be given in evi- 
dence. For the attainment of this great 
end, the country is indebted, uiorc than to 
all other men, to the early and bosom 
friend of the late Dr. Nott— to the talent 
and eloquence of one whose memory, tho' 
more than .'^O years dead, is as fresh and 
green as the turf upon his tomb. Need I 
name the man, who like many others com- 
menced his brilliant career in a country 
store — the man nho was first in the breach 
at Yorktown — whose eloquence secured 
the adoption of that glorious constitution 
which his wisdom assisted to frame — whose 
genius called our national system 
of finance into existence — and upon 
whose eloquent lips courts and juries 
and senates hung — need I -but 1 wiU not 
pursue the picture. The shude of Hamil- 
ton has already risen before you. [Ap- 
plause. J ■"■ The public press of no 
other country equals that of the United 
States, either on the score of it-; moral or its 
intellectual power, or for the exertion of 
that manly independence of thought and 
action which oueht ever to characterize 
the press of a free people. 

The paper of ^Fr Stone exhibited his 
usual thoro'uess and researcli, and contained 
many passages of valuable history and fair 
estimate of men and events. As the son of 
an eminent New York editor, Mr. Stone in- 
herits interest in his tiieme. and as himself 
a historian he possesses the capacity to 
treat it well. The society is fortunate in 
having secured such an address from such 
an eminent source. 

Dr. William H. Watson moved that a 
vote of thanks be tendered to the speuker. 
He also spoke of his friendship with 
Colonel Stone and his family. His refer- 
ence to the address was cracefully appre- 
ciative. 

General Darling seconded the motion in a 
few remarks, and it was unanimously car- 
ried. 



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O^U'to'Uca/ (^€€-^el\ 



Ml ^bUca, ^t. W. 



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been vsTought the 
ies were offered to 



Dear Sir 

The iiim of n, Historical Society is to honor (he meranrial? and associations of the past, because out of it ha 
results of the present. The lil'e of those who went before us perhaps was difficult and urgent, and fewer facili 
put on record the story of their work. 

We have a country which has before it such a certain and important future that we have it in trust to prest :re the memory of 
all the elements which will go to the shaping of that future. This would not be of as much moment if oui present was not so 
heavily charged with the future of a land whose destinies arc so powerfully to shape those of the world. A ew years from now 
will give a significance far beyond any present estimate to impulses that having started in the past, are gathc: ing strength in the 



ht for then, which, 
reciated that many 
State governments 



present, and will be important elements in the forming of our future. Materials of little value now will be sou<; 

unless sedulously guarded, will be looked for in vain. Sc; thoroughly has this fact been understood and ap[: 

permanent buildings have been erected and endowments made for Historical Societies. In a number of cases th( 

have materially aided the objects of these Societies by an annual appropriation, and by a careful investigatr n made by the late 

Kt. Rev. C. P. Robertson, Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri, and member of the Historical Societies of Missoui i and Virginia; the 

following facts were ascertained: 

In Massachusetts the State Historical Society has its own spacious quarters, and it has issued many volimes of collections, 
The Maine Historical Society has published its valuable collections, and so has the New Hampshire Histo 
Vermont Society has put forth numerous transactions, and that of Rhode Island has given to its members, and 
highly prized historical material. The New Haven Historical Society has given to the people of Connecticut 



of colonial records in which the New Haven Colony occupies a very prominent place. The New York Historicf I Society put forth 



ioal Society. The 
the country, much 
uany rare volumes 



xture a memorial 
with the petition a 

the publication of 
1 fund, a share in 
property for which 
ts j5ublished many 



the first of its numerous works in 1811, and in 1814, through its vice president. Gov. Clinton, it sent to the legi ; 
praying that the perishing records of the State of New Vork might be preserved and published. In compliance 
competent person was sent abroad to search and copy the papers relating to the colony, which effort resulted in 
thirteen volumes of colonial records and four volumes of documentary history. The society lias a publicatio 
which entitles its owner to a copy of all publications. The Long Island Historical Society in Brooklyn has a 
$1-10,000 was paid, and its library numbers nearly 100,000 volumes. The Historical Society of New Jersey h 
volumes of its proceedings, and the Pennsylvania Society, which owns it own properly, has a publication fund of §23,000. and has 
put out a large number of volumes of collections. The Delaware Historical Society has a building of its own, und the Historical 
Society of Maryland has the Peabody Publication Fund to meet the cost of the numerous publications it issues. The Virginia 
Historical Society has its quarters in the elegant Westmoreland Building at Richmond, and the Georgia Histor oal Society has had 
presented to it a fine structure admirably adapted to its needs. The Ohio Historical Society at Columbui issues an excellent 
quarterlj'. and is recognized as a State institution. The Wisconsin State Historical Society has a library of over 100,000 titles, and 
it occupies commodious rooms in tlie State House. The Iowa State Historical Society is accorded room in the Slate University, and 
has a yearly appropriation from the State of §500. The Kansas State Historical Society receives S4,000 a year from the State, and 
tlie Minnesota Historical Society, like the Oneida Historical Society of New York, occupies rooms in a government building through 
the courtesy of city officials. 

The untlersigned has now in hand the preparation of a paper in which facts relative to other Historical Societies will be 
published as soon as they can be ascertained. 

The Oneida Historical Society now stands in the front rank of Historical Societies, and its mission is to cover in its collections 
and researches the entire territory embraced in the original civil division of Central New York— the county of Tryon, erected in 
1773, rechristened Montgomery, in contempt of a royal governor, in 1784; divided in 1791 into the Counties of Montgomery, 
Otsego, Tioga, Ontario and Herkimer, Oneida being erected out of the latter in 1798. Tlie original Tryon County is peculiarly 
interesting in a historical point of view, for here lived Joseph Brandt who made the Mohawk Valley memorable as the scene of the 
fiercest and most relentless Indian and Tory massacres. Here also were the frontier forts and castles of the jfrench, the Indians 
and the English, as well as of the colonists— Fort Bull, Fort Plain, Fort Hill, Fort Hunter, Fort Dayton, Fort Schuyler, Fort 
Oswego and Fort Brewerton. Here were fought the battles of Oriskany and Saratoga, and here the Western Ililand Lock Naviga- 
tion Company made the first attempt at artificial water navigation in America. Here was the scene of the roinantic adventure of 
tlie Castorland Company, and here is the grave and monument of the brave Baron Steuben. Here w:is tested ine of the first rail- 
roads ever built, and here was organized the first Express Company. Here the telegraph was put to its first practical utility, and 
here were erected the first cotton factory and the first woolen factory chartered by the State of New York, and here has been the 
home of more than a due proportion of the statesmen whose life-work is a part of the history of the nation. ' 

The Oneida Historical Society is the proper custodian of the documents, the manuscripts, the relics, the memorials of every 
kind which relate to this remarkable history, and it remains for this society to faithfully gather and preserve the valuable materials 
of local history that still remain scattered and are fast disappearing. 

The Oneida Historical Society has in no way done more to preserve and keep alive local history than by thra monuments which 
it has helped to erect. The beginnings of the city of Utica are defined by the memorial of old Fort Schuyler, and the column at 
Oriskany teaches for all time the strategic and commercial relations of the valley of the Mohawk to the contiinent, while it gives 
immortality to the men who withstood the armed host of invasion. The monument to Baron Steuben, due in 
tion of our German friends at all its stages had the favor of the first president of this society, the late Gov. H' ratio Seymour. 

The story of the maintenance of the Oneida Historical Society is largely the story of the individual cffa ts of a few persons 
and yet it is well supported by the very best element of society in Utica. 

What it most needs now is a fire-proof building of its own, separate and distinct from other structures, j,. the preservation 
of the material which has already come into its hands, and which is yet to be received. 

Respectfully yours. 



QmTt^^^Ajtc^. 



Cor. Sec. 



I 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



005 797 090 ft ^ 




